Lost and Gone Forever
by EspacioSideral
Summary: Kurt's lifelong dream of making it to NYC is put on hold when his dad has another heart attack. He is preparing for a boring summer in Lima when another aspiring performer moves in next door and changes everything.
1. Happier

**Author's note: This story diverges from canon after "Grilled Cheesus." The title comes from my favorite Guster album. Each chapter will be named after a song from that CD - some fit better than others, whether it relates to the lyrics or just the overall tone, but I would suggest listening to them, particularly for chapters 1, 6, and 9. A link can be found in my profile or on my tumblr. **

**This story is dedicated to Bennett, who encouraged me to write it in the first place, and helped me outline and edit.**

**Also, a huge thanks to kivrinengle for being an awesome beta, and answering my excessive questions and emails. If you haven't read her stories, go do that now! They are amazing. **

**Anyways, here it is. Thank you and enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"<em>You've wasted every moment of your Saturdays and your Sundays <em>

_You're wasted from the boredom, was never supposed to be like this"_

Kurt groaned and rolled over as his iPod alarm clock continued to play. He glanced at the calendar, trying to remember which pills his dad needed on Wednesdays. Keeping track of his medicines and getting up to make him breakfast was the least he could do for his dad, who had been there for him through the tea parties and musicals, to the "Single Ladies" dance and the hateful phone calls. Even so, it wasn't exactly how he had pictured his life after graduation. Kurt Hummel was meant to be a star, and that plan did not include Lima, Ohio. He should be living the dream in New York City with Rachel, his one true competition from his high school glee club; however that was no longer an option after his dad suffered from another heart attack at the end of Kurt's senior year. Between the hospital visits and late night phone updates from Carole between her overtime shifts, it was a miracle he even passed his finals. His dad had gotten out of the hospital just in time to see Kurt walk across the stage and receive his diploma, but he hadn't had the strength to leave the house since that day, a few weeks earlier.

"_Cause it's time, lose your friends, make them go, was never supposed to be like this."_

The song started again, reminding Kurt that he really needed to get out of bed this time. As he started his morning moisturizing routine, he thought about his friends from New Directions. Most of them were either busy with summer jobs, or, like Rachel, already left for college or their next adventure. When his dad had ended up in the ER again, Kurt didn't want any more religious meddling like the previous year, so he refused his friends' offers to visit or call. And with his dad needing help to even get down from his bedroom to the couch, Kurt couldn't exactly be out all night at graduation parties, or join everyone for a day at the beach. New Directions had been like a family to him, but even before university classes started, he could count on one hand the number of times he had communicated with any of them, excluding a random Facebook wall post here or there. As Kurt headed upstairs to start his dad's breakfast, he grabbed his phone and saw it flashing one new message. Finn, the one exception to that statement, often checked in with Kurt to see how he and Burt were doing. Although Carole and Burt never took their relationship to the next level (Burt refused to risk Carole becoming a widow again), Finn and Burt were pretty close, and Kurt viewed the taller boy almost like a brother. He often stopped by to catch a sports game with Burt, or to ask a few questions about the tire shop; he was helping out there for the summer, which worked out well for both of them. Finn could save up some money to help his mom pay for his tuition at Ohio State University, and Burt had someone he trusted in the shop while he was unable to leave the house. Between Finn's shifts at the shop and his football training, he didn't have much free time, but he did his best to visit the Hummel household whenever possible and both Kurt and Burt appreciated his efforts.

"Morning, Dad," said Kurt, as he went into the bedroom to help his dad get down to the first floor. "Finn has double sessions today with Coach Beiste, so he won't be able to stop by, but he said he hopes you're feeling better."

"Double sessions in this heat? That sounds almost as hard as walking to the couch," Burt joked. "He better make the Buckeyes with all this hard work he's putting in."

"That can be your motivation to stop complaining about the food I make you, Dad," responded Kurt. "You have to be well enough to take a trip to see one of his games! Maybe I'll even go with you – although scarlet and gray are not my best colors."

They chatted back and forth as Kurt prepared his dad's breakfast (egg whites, orange juice, and Greek yogurt, even though Burt would not-so-secretly kill for just one piece of greasy bacon). They had adjusted to this routine in the past month, although they both knew Kurt would rather be across the country, even if he would never say so out loud. Kurt's mind wandered to what he would do during his dad's late morning nap. During Spanish vocabulary tests and calculus derivates he would have burned his favorite sweater for free time to read through his bookshelf and catch up on his YouTube subscriptions; but after a few weeks of nothing but free time, he was almost jealous of everyone who would be going back to exams and textbooks in the fall. For a rare moment, he let himself think of his previous New York plans as he washed the dishes. They were on hold for now because his dad needed almost around the clock care. Even if they could afford to hire someone, Kurt felt obligated as the only child to be there for his dad, although it meant Rachel got a head start on becoming a Broadway legend.

"Hey kiddo," said Burt from the other room, "Could you help me figure out this remote? I want to watch the rest of the Indians game from last night but I can't get this damn D-R-V thing to work."

"Sure, Dad," he called back, as he placed the last dish in the drying rack. "I'll be there in a minute." He glanced out the window, catching a glimpse of a curly-haired boy walking into his neighbor's house, wearing what looked to be a terrible polyester blazer. Mrs. Phillips was a retired woman who lived by herself, so who could be visiting her on a Wednesday morning? As his dad yelled again from the living room, Kurt forced the question out of his mind; he had more pressing matters to deal with, like the last three innings of the latest Indians' loss. He let himself breathe one big sigh before heading into the adjoining room, thinking 'Just another thrilling day in the life of Kurt E. Hummel.'


	2. What You Wish For

Kurt spent Thursday afternoon reading the newest issue of Vogue, which had mercifully arrived the previous day. Flipping through the pages, he wistfully imagined all of the fabulous outfits he used to put together for various events. No matter how many times he told himself that every day is an opportunity for fashion, lately he just wasn't inspired, seeing as the only person who witnessed his outfits on a daily basis couldn't tell the difference between a McQueen design and Queen the band; his dad's idea of fashion was putting on a clean t-shirt every morning. As he flipped to the next page and spotted a blazer that would look amazing with those jeans he bought when he went shopping before graduation (oh my gosh, had his last shopping trip really been almost a month ago? That must be a new personal record), he was reminded of the mysterious boy he had seen the day before.

He tried to remember if he had noticed relatives at Mrs. Phillips' house in the past, but excluding major holidays he couldn't seem to recall any visitors, especially not ones his age. It had been so long since he'd interacted with other teenage boys outside of the McKinley Neanderthals and the glee club guys. And since this was Lima, Ohio, it was highly unlikely that this strange boy was gay or even accepting of homosexuality. Although the worst of the bullying had ended when most of the hockey jocks had graduated the year before, it still hadn't been easy dealing with his sexuality in high school. That was one of the biggest reasons he had been dying to move to a big city: to escape the homophobia of his home town. All of this was a moot point anyways, Kurt reminded himself, because whatever reason this boy had to visit his retired neighbor, he probably didn't even stay for more than a few hours and Kurt would never see him again anyways. Plus it's not exactly like he could stay out all night socializing with his dad's current health, or lack thereof. With that reasoning, Kurt determinedly went back to reading the magazine in his lap and let his mind drift to fashion spreads and next season's trends.

Half way through the magazine's interview with this month's cover, Emma Watson, Kurt heard a truck engine and looked out the living room window to see the mailman drive past his house. Laying the magazine on the coffee table, he made his way towards the front door. It wasn't as if he was expecting anything thrilling in the mail, but it was a good excuse to get a few minutes of fresh air. He opened the hall closet and paused for a moment at his favorite boots, before deciding on the easier option of an old pair of sneakers. Kurt remembered the afternoons just a few months ago, when he would practically run out to the mailbox to check for college acceptance letters. All of that was in vain now, but he had been so anxious to hear from the universities in New York City, especially because Rachel had, of course, applied all early action and therefore knew where she was going long before he did. Between solos in glee club, boyfriends, and now college decisions, it was hard not to resent Rachel for always being one step ahead of him.

He soon reached the end of the driveway and grabbed the mail, flipping through the numerous bills that they were barely keeping up with. Most of their savings had been used on the hospital bills in May and June. Since then, they had been living off the small checks Burt still received for being the owner of the tire shop; without his regular hours, though, money had been very tight. Kurt tried to put those worries out of his mind for the moment as he glanced at the front page of the Lima Ledger. "Heat wave not a problem for local kids at lake!" "Free quilting class at Public Library"... Wow, his town was exciting, he thought dryly.

All of a sudden, he heard a voice say, "Hello there!" from right behind him. He jolted around and came face-to-face with the curly-haired boy from the previous day. Luckily he was no longer wearing that horrible blazer (maybe it was some sort of school uniform?); instead he had on dark, fitted jeans, paired with a striped tee. Kurt looked up to the boy's face to find a smile forming, and realized he had been caught checking out this boy before even speaking a word to him.

"What are you doing here?" Kurt asked him, defiantly returning his stare, even as his cheeks turned pink. "Same thing as you," answered the other boy innocently, gesturing to the mail in his left hand. As the shorter boy returned the favor and looked over Kurt, he instantly regretted his footwear choice and longingly pictured all of the neglected outfits hanging in his closet.

"I'm Blaine, by the way," the boy continued, after he apparently had finished his own inspection. He held out his hand, and Kurt gave him a firm handshake while replying with his own name.

"How do you know Mrs. Phillips?" Kurt questioned, his curiosity winning out over his unease at being observed by this guy – Blaine, he silently reminded himself. "Oh, Hazel?" he answered. "Great-aunt. I'm staying with her for the summer." Kurt tried to ignore the joyful leap he felt in his stomach when he heard that, and quickly said, "I've never seen you around here before."

Blaine gave a sigh and said, "Yeah, I haven't visited her much since I was little, but my parents are spending the next two months in Nantucket and they didn't want to leave me in Westerville alone." Kurt subtlely made a sympathetic face at that, noting Blaine's slightly bitter tone of voice as he talked about his parents. Blaine must have realized Kurt's reaction, as he quickly added, "But I really wanted to stay in Ohio anyways because I need to attend all of the Warbler practices."

"Warblers?" questioned Kurt, with a tilt of his head.

"Oh, we're an all boy a capella group from Dalton Academy. Well, that's where we all met, anyways. Now a bunch of us that have graduated are hoping to take our act to New York in the fall." Kurt felt his heart sink at that answer. Great, just another person who would be living out HIS dream while he was stuck here in Ohio.

"That sounds awesome," Kurt answered unenthusiastically. "Well, I need to um… get back inside," he continued, wincing internally as he realized how lame that sounded. Blaine flashed him a big smile and waved as he turned to walk to the adjacent house, saying, "See you around, neighbor." Kurt swore he saw Blaine wink, but shook his head as he continued walking down his driveway, convinced he must be seeing things. Unless he was making it all up in his head, his mysterious new neighbor had blatantly checked him out and then winked at him. As he walked through the door and put the mail down on the kitchen counter, he attempted to distract himself with thoughts of what to make for supper… maybe he would try a complicated new recipe. Just to mix up the routine of course, no other reason. He sang through his favorite Broadway numbers as he cooked and made an extra effort to converse with his dad at dinner, even pretending to care about that football lockout thing, but he still fell asleep that night to thoughts of a brightly lit stage full of boys in blazers with a suspiciously familiar lead singer.


	3. Barrel of a Gun

The worst part about staying home with his dad every day was being guilted into giving him control of the TV remote, which meant way more sports than Kurt could typically tolerate. As the same news stories came up for a third time on SportsCenter (seriously, they weren't even interesting the first time!), Kurt felt his mind slipping into excuses he could use to go outside and maybe bump into Blaine again. The mail hadn't arrived yet and Kurt certainly wasn't the type to go running (gym shorts and t-shirts outside of PE? please). It was much too hot to simply sit outside and finish reading that Vogue article; the UV index today would be killer for his skin. Hence his current position on the couch, learning more than he ever needed to know about someone named Ochocinco; really? Who changes their last name to their sports number? And in Spanish, no less? His dad seemed to be of the same opinion, as he scoffed at whatever the announcer was saying about the football player.

For only having one conversation, if you could even call it that, with Blaine, Kurt certainly had spent a lot of time thinking about him in the past 24 hours. It really had been a long time since he'd had a social interaction apart from Finn though, he rationalized. Plus, it was only natural to fixate on such an interesting change to his tedious daily routine. He was still trying to reason with himself, ignoring his dad's muttering about whatever sport the commentators had moved on to at this point, when he heard the doorbell ring. This was strange because A. they never had any company, especially not in the afternoon, and B. no one that knew them rang the doorbell; they just knocked, or in the case of half of New Directions, simply waltzed right in. "Dad, don't you dare try to stand up by yourself," Kurt warned. "I'll get the door."

"That couldn't be Finn, right? I thought he called this morning to say he had some orientation thing at school this weekend." The doorbell chimed again, and Kurt sighed as he got off the couch, confirming his dad's statement over his shoulder while he walked into the other room.

He opened the door and was startled to see Blaine standing on his doorstep with a lopsided grin on his face. "Hi, Kurt!"

"Blaine," he answered hesitantly. "Can I help you with something?"

"Actually yes, I have a really important question for you," he responded. "What is the best place to get ice cream around here? I am really craving some cookie dough with chocolate jimmies." Kurt laughed a little at the unexpected answer and said with disbelief, "You walked all the way over here to ask me about ice cream, of all things?"

"I take my ice cream very seriously," Blaine answered, although the solemnity of the statement was ruined by his cheeky grin. "I was actually thinking the easiest way would be for you to just show me yourself. I'm even willing to bribe you with a milkshake."

Kurt suddenly realized that Blaine was asking him to spend time together, and was very glad he had been randomly inspired to put together a nice outfit that morning; however any happy feelings were quickly shot down when he remembered his dad in the other room, who would soon require his next round of medicine. Right on cue, his dad shouted, "Kurt, who is it?"

"No one, Dad!" he yelled back. He grimaced at Blaine, saying plainly, "Sorry, I can't." Blaine looked as if he was waiting for further explanation, but Kurt certainly wasn't going to tell this stranger about his dad's health or his current situation. Kurt tried his best to look apologetic, but didn't add anything else to his statement. Blaine seemed to realize he wasn't going to hear anymore from the boy, nor was he going to be invited inside, so he said, "Alright, well maybe another time then," in an unconvincingly cheerful voice. Kurt shouldn't have been so happy to spot a disappointed look on Blaine's face, but it felt nice that someone wanted to socialize with him (and to not be the one getting rejected for once, although he did regret that he had to make someone else feel that way). Kurt answered, "Yeah, sure," noncommittally; as much as he wanted to hang out with Blaine, it really wouldn't be logical with his dad's health and he didn't want to get either of their hopes up. Besides, Blaine was probably just bored and didn't know anyone else in this area; it wasn't as if he was going out of his way to seek out Kurt specifically.

Blaine hesitated for a second, then pulled out his phone and said, "Could I at least have your number in case I have any other pressing questions about Lima?" Kurt chuckled, as his cheeks turned light pink. "Sure," he answered slightly breathlessly, reciting the digits and hoping he sounded more confident than he felt. Maybe this boy really did want to spend time with him. Blaine flashed him a huge smile, before waving goodbye and heading down the front steps two at a time. Kurt waved back to Blaine and watched him the whole way up the driveway before returning to the living room.

He hardly had any time to interpret that interaction, though, as his dad immediately started asking questions, with more energy than Kurt had seen from him in over a week. "Who was that boy at the door? Was he giving you trouble? What did he want?"

Kurt sunk down resignedly on the couch and answered, "That was Blaine, he's staying with Mrs. Phillips for the summer. He wasn't causing any trouble, he just had a question for me."

"Is he gay?" Burt countered. "Dad!" Kurt sputtered. "You can't just ask that. I don't know, I only met him yesterday. Besides, it shouldn't matter."

"It does matter if the kid wants to spend time with my son," Burt retorted. "I know he was asking you to go somewhere with him."

"Yes, Dad, he was asking me to go get ice cream," Kurt emphasized, with an eye roll. "Not exactly full of romance and rose petals."

"Well, why didn't you go with him then?" Burt questioned. "It's been awhile since you've gotten out of the house or seen any of those friends of yours from school." Kurt looked over in surprise at the sudden turn in the conversation and answered, "Well I have to take care of you, of course. Plus it's Friday night dinner, I wouldn't miss that for anything."

"I appreciate that, kiddo," he replied gruffly. "But you don't have to pretend you ain't sick of sitting in this house all day every day. I know ESPN ain't really your thing, and you'd rather be over in New York with that Berry girl." Kurt argued, "That's not true, Dad. I'm glad that I can be here to take care of you." Burt grunted, saying, "As much as I appreciate that, Kurt, next time that Blaine kid wants to hang out with you, I'm sure I can handle myself for a few hours."

Kurt gave his dad a quick hug in place of an answer, and replied, "Alright time to start making dinner. How does meatloaf and fresh veggies sound for the big Hummel Friday night?" Burt chuckled and said, "Sounds great, kid. Nice and healthy." Kurt smiled as he walked down the hall, thinking not of ground turkey, but of potential dates (oops getting ahead of himself there, he didn't even know if this boy was gay!) or at least time spent getting to know Blaine, hopefully in the near future. This was shaping up to be the best Friday night dinner in awhile.


	4. Fa Fa

"What time did you say Finn was getting here?" Burt asked his son, for the third time in the past hour. "It's almost time for the first pitch!"

"He texted earlier and said he'd be here, Dad. Don't worry, I'm sure he's on his way," Kurt responded, hiding a smile. Finn had been very busy lately with extra football practices in addition to his regular hours at the shop, so it had been longer than usual since he had made a visit. Unlike Kurt, the other boy actually wanted to watch the baseball games, which made it a much more enjoyable experience for his dad; Kurt's only usual commentary involved which players needed to shave and that knee socks were so last season.

Kurt grabbed his phone anyways to check if Finn had texted with an update. "Wait, I do have a new message, maybe he's running a little late." Kurt opened the message, quickly realizing it wasn't from Finn, but from an unknown number. Thoughts of McKinley jocks flashed through his head and he almost deleted it unread, then remembered that he had given Blaine his number the other day. He hadn't been expecting his neighbor to text him immediately, but he had been a little disappointed when almost two full days went by without hearing anything. His eyes lit up as he read the words on the screen:

"Hey Kurt, it's Blaine from next door. I know it probably sounds like a boring way to spend your afternoon, but I could use some help unpacking if you don't have any plans. Hope to see you soon!"

"Finn is still coming, right? What did the message say?" asked his dad from across the living room. Kurt looked up at his dad, grin disappearing off his face. As much as he'd like to go help Blaine – after all, unpacking would probably involve either decorating or clothing – he really couldn't leave his dad alone this afternoon, especially since Finn had yet to arrive.

"Oh, it was just Blaine," Kurt answered nonchalantly. He saved the number in his contacts, pausing when he realized he didn't know the other boy's last name. He smiled and quickly added 'Warbler' as the surname.

"Blaine?" his dad asked. "That boy from last week?" Kurt nodded as he continued speaking. "What did he want this time, the best Italian restaurant in town?" Burt chuckled at his own joke.

"Um, actually he wanted me to go over there and help him unpack, but I'm about to text him back and tell him I already have plans."

"I hope you don't mean watching the baseball game with me and Finn," Burt answered skeptically.

"Of course that's what I mean – I haven't seen Finn in awhile and this is what we do every Sunday –"

His dad cut him off right there, saying, "Kurt, me and you both know that you don't give a damn about the Indians game. And you won't be leaving me alone – Finn is more than capable of getting me a glass of water or helping me up the stairs."

"I know, Dad, but it's my responsibility-" Kurt tried to argue but Burt gave him an exasperated look, and said, "I think I can handle myself until Finn gets here. I won't even move from this couch. You deserve an afternoon off from old-man duty. Now stop wasting time arguing with me, and text that boy that you'll be over as soon as you change your outfit."

Kurt looked down at his clothes, realizing he definitely would have to change before leaving the house. He grabbed his phone, gave his dad a hug, and practically ran downstairs to his room, mentally putting together an outfit that would be fashionable yet also acceptable for moving furniture if necessary. Fifteen minutes later, the baseball game had started (although Finn had yet to show his face) and Kurt was dressed and headed out the door. He yelled out, "Dad, call me if you need anything, even just a glass of water, and call me if Finn doesn't show up in an hour, or if…"

"Kurt, stop worrying and go have a little fun!" Burt replied from the living room. "I'll see you in a few hours for dinner." And with that, Kurt closed the door behind him, feeling the first bit of freedom in weeks; on occasion he had gone out when Finn was over, but usually only long enough to run to the grocery store. This felt different, like he actually had a few hours to relax, socialize with a friend, and act like a normal teenager, without all the extra responsibilities he had assumed in the past month. Perhaps it was a stretch to call Blaine a friend at this point, but Kurt had been thinking about him a lot since their last conversation.

Before he knew it, Kurt had reached Mrs. Phillips' front door. He had texted Blaine to let him know he would be coming, but he still felt very apprehensive about actually knocking on the door. However at that moment, Blaine opened the door with a big smile, saying, "I saw you walking over here. Come on in!" He closed the door behind Kurt and led him down the hall to a small room on the left. Inside were a large duffle bag and a few half-opened boxes. "Sorry it's kind of disorganized. I don't have a ton of room to put stuff, and I'm only going to be here for the summer so I didn't bring that much," Blaine explained as he shrugged and looked around his bedroom

"What can I help with?" inquired Kurt, surveying the mess.

"Well, I was hoping to rearrange the furniture a bit, other than that it's mostly clothes, books, and a few posters."

"You had me at rearranging and clothes," answered Kurt jokingly. They chatted easily while they rotated the bed, and moved the bookshelf and desk to the opposite wall. "Please tell me those aren't your clothes stuffed in that duffel bag, Blaine Warbler," Kurt demanded.

"Last name's Anderson and um… yes, actually, they are," he replied sheepishly. Kurt gave him one of his patent glares as Blaine protested, "My parents took all of the good luggage with them to Nantucket! Besides I didn't bring that many nice clothes with me other than my Warblers uniform."

Kurt sighed and got to work hanging the clothes in the closet, tsk-ing at the wrinkles, as Blaine alphabetized the books on the shelf across the room. "So that was a uniform I saw you wearing that first day," Kurt said. "Thank God. If that blazer was your own choosing, we may have required a serious fashion intervention."

Blaine chuckled and answered, "Yes, the polyester blend isn't the best jacket, but we all look rather dashing when we perform. Speaking of which, I'm sorry I didn't text you yesterday – Wes called an emergency practice. He had a new song idea that apparently required us all to drop everything and rehearse it a million times."

"Wow, he sounds just as bad as Rachel," Kurt responded. He noticed a confused look on Blaine's face, and continued, "She's a friend of mine from high school. Famous for storming out of rehearsals when she didn't get her way. She's in New York now, studying at Juliard this fall."

"Oh, awesome!" said Blaine. "Maybe I'll see her in the city in a few months – sounds like she and Wes would get along well," he joked.

Wanting to talk about anything but New York on his free afternoon, Kurt noticed the stack of DVDs the other boy was organizing, and exclaimed, "Oh, you like Rent?"

"Of course I do," answered Blaine, appearing almost offended at the thought that he didn't like the musical. "It's one of my favorites. Obviously the stage version is ten times better than the film, but I own it on DVD and Blu-Ray anyways."

Kurt grinned broadly at his reply and soon unpacking was abandoned in favor of sitting on the floor, comparing favorite musicals and Broadway legends. Halfway through an argument about Patti Lupone versus Barbra Streisand, Kurt glanced at the alarm clock and felt his heart drop into his stomach. There is no way he had been here for that long… Ignoring whatever Blaine was saying, he grabbed his phone to double check the time and saw half a dozen texts and a missed call from Finn. "Shit shit shit shit," Kurt mumbled as he scrambled around the room, grabbing his keys. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" asked Blaine, looking very concerned at Kurt's sudden change in behavior. "If this is about Patti Lupone…"

"No, no, no," said Kurt agitatedly, trying to put on his boots while standing up. "I was supposed to be home an hour ago to make dinner for my dad! And Finn probably doesn't know what medicine he gets at night. I knew I shouldn't have left…" Kurt rambled, as Blaine watched in confusion. Kurt continued as he walked into the hallway, saying, "This was fun, Blaine, but I really need to get going. See you later, I hope," and with that he was out the door, leaving a stunned Blaine in his wake.

Kurt sprinted all the way across the lawn, not even caring about his boots in the grass and dirt. He burst into the living room to find his dad sleeping on the couch, and Finn glaring at him from the recliner. Burt woke up to the sound of the screen door slamming, and groggily looked over at Kurt. "Hey kiddo, how was Blaine?" he asked sleepily.

"Good, we got a lot of unpacking done," answered Kurt. "I am so sorry I lost track of time – did you take your medicine, do you need any food or water, can I help you upstairs?"

"Relax, I'm fine. Finn made some grilled cheese for dinner. Hey, it was that non-fat cheese with whole wheat toast so don't give me that look," he protested.

"Alright, let's get you up to bed, Dad." As he grabbed Burt's arm, he realized Finn had yet to say a word. When he came downstairs, Finn was waiting for him in the kitchen. "Where were you?" the other boy demanded. "I was at the neighbor's house," Kurt responded, "and I'm really sorry I was late but I was helping Blaine unpack and totally lost track of time-"

"Dude, how could you leave Burt here alone?"

"You were the one who was late for the game! Plus my dad convinced me to go in the first place!" Kurt exclaimed, getting defensive.

"Well, you didn't answer any of my calls or texts and I was getting worried," Finn continued. "Burt was really tired but refused to go to bed until you came home."

"I'm sorry that I wanted to get out of the house this afternoon. You're not the one who has to be here every day, all day!"

Finn backed off at Kurt's tone, saying, "Dude, it's not a big deal, it's just not like you to ignore texts, or to leave Burt here alone."

"I'm sorry I didn't see your messages," said Kurt, calming down. "And sorry I didn't get to visit with you this afternoon. How is the tire shop these days?" The boys chatted for awhile, about football training sessions and gossip from New Directions, before Finn finally headed home.

As Kurt got ready for bed, he thought about his easy conversation with Blaine this afternoon, and how quickly the day went by while spending time with the other boy. Kurt did feel guilty about neglecting his dad, but it sounded like Finn took good care of him; of course he would never leave Burt to his own defenses for hours on end. He was far more responsible than that and Finn was out of line to imply that he wasn't. One thing was for certain: with Blaine next door, this summer was turning out to be much more interesting than Kurt had anticipated.


	5. I Spy

"So, what did you think?" asked Blaine, as he backed away from the keyboard and shifted to face Kurt, who was sitting on his bed across the room, listening patiently to Blaine's song.

"Well, the first verse sounded great," said Kurt. "But you went a little flat on that last note. And the other guys are gonna have a tough time with the harmonies in the chorus, but it will sound amazing if you can get it right."

Blaine just stared at him for a moment before saying, "Wow, you really know your music. Here I was, expecting you to tell me my voice sounded pretty or something."

Kurt just smirked and replied confidently, "Well I guess there's more to me than you thought, Mr. Anderson." And your voice is incredible, he thought to himself.

Blaine looked at him thoughtfully, then eagerly responded, "So can you sing? I'd love to hear your voice, I bet it's beautiful."

Kurt blushed slightly at the compliment and quietly said, "Well, I was in glee club in high school. We were pretty good I guess. I was the only countertenor…" he trailed off.

"You're a countertenor?" Blaine answered, "You must have gotten so many solos! I know how rare countertenors are, especially in the show choir circuit."

Kurt laughed bitterly before saying, "Actually, Rachel got pretty much all of the solos – I mentioned her the other day? Let's just say my school wasn't very kind to those who were different. I mean everyone in glee tried really hard to be accepting, but our teacher was kind of oblivious."

Blaine made a sympathetic face and put his hand on Kurt's knee. Kurt jolted internally at this, before quickly reminding himself that Blaine was just being friendly; Kurt didn't even know if the other boy was gay or not, and he'd only known him for a week. (Actually six days, but who was counting?) Kurt snapped out of his reverie when he realized Blaine had been speaking to him.

"…so ever since that disastrous song attempt, we have been dying to find a countertenor. You should really join us! I'm sure the guys would love you, and we could carpool to practice. Have you ever thought about going to New York City? I know you said your friend Rachel is living there."

Kurt felt the familiar sense of regret in his stomach at the mention of going to that particular city, and tried his best to fake a smile. "Oh, yeah, I've thought about it a little," he replied vaguely. "I haven't really sung in front of anyone since our last glee club performance though." Well, that part was true enough, he thought. He hadn't felt much like performing ever since he had come to terms with the fact that he wouldn't be chasing his dream, at least not until his dad had recovered, however long that took.

"We should sing together sometime!" answered Blaine, apparently not noticing Kurt's discomfort with the topic at hand. "I have some awesome duets I've been working on, but they just aren't a good fit for the Warblers."

"So you guys are all a capella, then?" questioned Kurt, grateful for the change in topic he was so desperate for. The last thing he wanted to discuss with Blaine at the moment was his dad's situation and Kurt's shattered Broadway dreams. He was really happy with how things were progressing with Blaine and didn't want any pity to get in the way. He may feel sad on occasion, and get sick of playing his part as caretaker, but he could handle it on his own. As nice as it might be to talk to someone about it, Blaine didn't need to deal with Kurt's problems. He had big plans in NYC this fall with his band and didn't need to be tied down with the issues of some small town boy he met over the summer.

This time when Kurt zoned out, Blaine noticed that he was no longer paying attention, and looked at him with a patient smile. "You alright?" he asked, with a tilt of his head.

"Yeah, I'm fine," answered Kurt, with an apologetic smile. "I really want to hear more about the Warblers though! What type of music do you guys usually sing?"

"Well, as I was explaining a minute ago," Blaine said in an annoyed tone, although he had a teasing smile on his face, "…is that we usually sing Top 40 kind of stuff, although with a little twist so we can make it a capella. One of my recent favorites is 'Teenage Dream'."

"Really," Kurt replied skeptically. "Katy Perry? I thought you had better taste than that, Blaine. At least go with Lady Gaga."

"Please," scoffed Blaine, "Katy Perry is a pop goddess. And our version of her song would blow you away. Especially with my dance moves and lead vocals," Blaine added, cockily. "My two-step is pretty legendary at Dalton."

Kurt gave him a 'bitch, please' type of look at that statement, and Blaine's arrogant façade slipped away as they both started laughing.

"Okay, so our choreography is not our forte," Blaine admitted. "Honestly, it's our vocals that are remarkable. We all work as a team to harmonize and the result is amazing."

Kurt remembered the constant arguing of New Directions, whether it was over a solo or someone's boyfriend. "My glee club was more like a dysfunctional family than a team. We were always trying to outshine each other and compete for our chance in the spotlight."

Blaine frowned at that, saying, "See on the Warblers, it's never about who gets the glory. Everyone does their part for the group. Not everyone gets a chance to solo, but we all agree that sometimes sacrifices need to be made for the greater good."

Kurt thought hard about how different that seemed to his experiences. He always had to scream to have his voice heard. He didn't think Rachel or Santana or even Mercedes would have been too keen on the whole "sacrifices for the greater good" concept.

Blaine noticed the pensive expression on Kurt's face and continued, "But the best part is that we are all treated equally. Just because I get a lot of solos doesn't make me any more important than one of the guys who is always in the background. We need every single person to succeed."

Kurt swallowed at that earnest statement, surprised by the tears he could feel welling up in his eyes at the thought of equality. Between the guys versus girls challenges that Mr. Schuester always so ignorantly assigned, to his general treatment at McKinley, the concept was not something he was used to considering, especially not with other guys his age. They were usually either violent towards him (ie the hockey team) or just didn't know how to treat him (ie the guys in glee). To be part of a team where everyone was treated the same no matter what… it was practically inconceivable to Kurt.

Blaine looked at his friend thoughtfully, and opened his mouth as if to say something, when Kurt checked the time and said, "I really be getting home soon." Before his dad awoke from his afternoon nap, he added silently, because Blaine didn't need to know about his dad's condition. Of course, his abrupt decision to depart had nothing to do with how emotional he was getting about the current topic, or the sympathy in Blaine's eyes as he watched Kurt gather his belongings and walk across the room.

"Alright, well thanks for your advice about the new song. If you ever want to sing together, let me know. And please consider my offer about the Warblers; we would love to have you join us."

Kurt swallowed again at the sincerity in Blaine's eyes, and simply nodded in thanks as he opened the bedroom door. "See you later, Blaine," he called out down the hallways, before leaving Mrs. Phillips' house to head back to his own. That evening at dinner, he felt his mind drifting to donning his own stuffy blazer, and belonging to a group where everyone was treated equally. And of course, thoughts of a duet with a certain attractive, curly-haired teenager only served to make the daydream that much more appealing.


	6. Center of Attention

Everything was going so damn well lately, thought Kurt as he stormed up the stairs from his bedroom, and Rachel Berry had to go and ruin any semblance of him being in a good mood. "Dad, I'm going over to Blaine's. There's leftover turkey in the fridge for lunch. Call me if you need anything," he said fiercely, as the back door slammed behind him.

He stalked across the side yard, realizing he probably should have at least texted Blaine before just showing up on his door step. They weren't quite at that point in their friendship… but he was just too mad to care at the moment. He knocked on the door, tapping his foot impatiently as he heard someone coming down the hallway. He was surprised when Mrs. Phillips answered the door, almost forgetting that it was her house. His anger faltered momentarily as he asked, "Um, is Blaine home? I'm sorry, I should have called first or something…"

She just smiled and answered, "Of course, dear, he's in his room. You know where it is," as she ushered him into the house and made her way back to the kitchen at the end of the long corridor. Kurt's phone vibrated and started to play: _"My own little world is what I deserve, Cause I am the only child there is, I'm king of it all, the belle of the ball, I promise I've always been like this, Forever the first, my bubble can't burst, It's almost like only I exist…._" He laughed bitterly, remembering when he had jokingly assigned a song called 'Center of Attention' as Rachel's ringtone. It had never been more fitting, as he grudgingly opened the text message to see a picture of a playbill featuring Rachel's name. Within seconds, his rage was back in full force as he opened Blaine's door to find the surprised boy reading on his bed. "Um Kurt, Hi, I wasn't expecting you – Did I miss a text message or something?" he questioned, reaching to the nightstand to check his phone.

"So Rachel just called me, you know Rachel from my glee club," Kurt said impatiently as he entered the room, not even bothering to respond to Blaine's question. "And she just got some big part in a musical in New York City. And she just kept going on and on about the songs she gets to sing, and her audition, and the theater, and it just made me so angry." Blaine just stared up at him from the bed with wide eyes as Kurt paced back and forth across the small room.

"I know I should be happy for her but I just can't think of anything but the fact that she's living my dream and I should be there, auditioning for roles with her, not sitting here in Ohio listening to her brag about it over the phone. And humility has never been Rachel's strong suit, and usually I love her in spite of that, but this time I just can't handle it. It's not enough that she got all the solos in glee club, and even got the guy we were both crushing on at the time, but now she's stealing my lifelong dream and then has the audacity to call and tell me about it, as if I'm going to sit here and be all supportive when inside I'm seething with envy." Kurt hadn't even looked at Blaine during the tirade; instead he stared down at the phone that was still clutched tightly in his hand as he spoke.

"And I know I haven't talked to my friends, or really anyone, about how much it's killing me to watch everyone move on while I'm stuck in Lima, but if she was really my friend she should have realized how hard this has all been for me and… " Kurt stopped for a second to catch his breath and Blaine took the chance to interject, "Woah, slow down there for a minute Kurt." Kurt closed his mouth and finally looked over at Blaine, almost as if he was just realizing someone else was in the room, as Blaine continued speaking. "So your friend Rachel got a role in some musical in the city. And you're mad at her because…"

"Because I'm not there!" Kurt started to shout again, continuing his pacing of the carpet. "Because Broadway has been my dream since the first time I saw a musical when I was four years old and if anything, we were supposed to make it big together. It was never part of the plan for her to go without me. And now she's one step closer to achieving that goal while I'm here… practically moving backwards!" he finished, sputtering.

Blaine looked confused, and asked, "But why didn't you go to New York with her? I feel like I'm missing something here."

Kurt hesitated for a moment, before deciding that he might as well continue when he'd already said this much, especially since he literally just barged in uninvited. "My dad got sick," he began quietly, finally taking a seat on the bed next to Blaine, as most of the anger ebbed away into sadness and guilt. "He had a heart attack last year, and I made sure he ate healthy and thought he was doing better…" he swallowed and blinked away tears that a moment ago had been from frustration. "But then he had an even worse attack right before my graduation, and he's been really weak ever since. The doctor's hope he'll recover eventually, but right now he can hardly walk up the stairs himself."

"So you gave up your dream to stay here and take care of your dad?" Blaine asked incredulously. Kurt simply nodded, without making eye contact. "That's the most selfless thing I've ever heard Kurt," Blaine continued. "I honestly can't say that I would do the same," he muttered to himself, almost as if he didn't want Kurt to hear.

"Yeah, well…" Kurt said awkwardly. "I've been handling it fine on my own, but I guess the whole Rachel thing today just put me over the edge. I've just started to feel kind of restless and I still really miss performing."

Blaine looked at him thoughtfully and added, "You should really sing with the Warblers sometime, even if you can't come to NYC with us in the fall. I'm so sorry for bringing it up yesterday, I didn't realize…"

"No, it's fine," Kurt answered hurriedly. "You didn't know. I probably should have told you sooner but I didn't want to dump all of my issues on you when I haven't known you for very long…"

"It seems like we've been friends much longer, doesn't it?" said Blaine, running his hand through his hair. Kurt had noticed it was only gelled on days when the other boy had Warblers practice, which he was grateful for; he much preferred the loose curls, privately wondering how it would feel to sink his fingers into them. Blaine continued, "Is that why you got so upset the other day when we were talking about New York and the Warblers?"

"Partially," admitted Kurt. When he didn't elaborate, Blaine prompted, "and what was the other reason?"

"Speaking of not dumping all of my problems on you…" Kurt joked. Blaine just looked at him patiently, silently telling him to continue, so Kurt inhaled and started explaining about the equality aspect of the Warblers, and all of the bullying he had endured at McKinley, from the blatant locker shoves, to the more subtle gender stereotyping. For once, he didn't leave anything out, unlike when he confided in Mercedes or admitted an incident to his dad. Although he was worried about how Blaine would react, it felt nice to finally talk about all of these topics he had kept bottled inside for the past month, in terms of his dad, or years, in terms of the bullying. Blaine just listened to it all with sympathy, offering simple comments or understanding nods in the appropriate places.

When Kurt finally finished his tale, Blaine looked him in the eye and said firmly, "You have so much courage, Kurt, to stand up to those bullies, and to keep going to school every day with your head held high, proud of who you are." Blaine looked at the ground, before continuing in a softer voice, "I ran, Kurt. I was bullied for being gay at my old school. And as soon as it started getting rough, I left. That's how I deal with my problems." Kurt was shocked to hear that this seemingly confident boy had suffered just like he did (although he felt his stomach swoop in joy when Blaine so casually admitted that he was gay, too). He was so busy considering this new information that he almost missed when Blaine added quietly, "Why do you think I'm here this summer?"

Kurt looked up in confusion at the boy sitting on the other side of the bed from him. "Wait, what do you mean? I thought you had to stay to practice with the Warblers."

"Well, that was a good reason, yeah. But I'm sure I could have practiced on my own, or come out here a few times to work with them. Mainly I just didn't want to spend the whole summer with my parents, especially my father…" Blaine looked up to see Kurt waiting expectantly, and continued, "I'm sick of seeing the disappointment when he looks at me, I'm sick of playing it straight for all the rich neighbors and business partners, and I'm sick of arguing about finding a career that doesn't involve singing and dancing. I want to go to New York City with the Warblers, and besides, becoming a lawyer or CEO or something would not change the fact that I'm 100% gay," he finished with conviction, although Kurt could see the hurt in his eyes when Blaine mentioned his father.

"I'm really sorry you have to deal with that. You deserve better. At least through all of my issues at school, I always knew I had a safe place to come home to with my dad," Kurt responded.

"Thanks," Blaine answered quietly. "In just over a month I'll be in New York with the Warblers anyways, so I really should just stop worrying about it." Blaine missed the hurt look on Kurt's face when he was reminded that someone else would soon be leaving him to pursue his discarded dream. Blaine seemed to realize his mistake though and snapped out of his melancholy, as he quickly apologized for his inconsideration and added, "Kurt Hummel, the first time I met you I could tell that you were made for bigger and better things than this town. I know you'll make it to the city someday and hopefully I'll see you there."

Kurt shivered at the certainty of that statement, and at how deep their conversation had become. "I hope that's true," he answered. "But after everything my dad has done for me, the least I can do is take care of him for as long as his recovery lasts."

There was a weighted silence, until Blaine said, "I guess that first day when you ran out of here without an explanation makes a lot more sense now," failing at an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Kurt replied sheepishly. "But now you know, which hopefully will be a lot easier for both of us. And maybe I'll even have you over to meet my dad sometime," he added as an afterthought. "He's not that exciting though, he mostly just sits around and watches ESPN these days-"

"Ooh is he a Buckeyes fan?" Blaine asked. "I'm ready for football season with the way the Indians have been playing lately."

"Blaine, if you start talking about sports, I'm leaving," said Kurt, teasingly.

Blaine smiled and said, "Fine, then why don't you tell me more about your glee club? I've certainly heard a lot about Rachel today…"

Thinking about all of the topics they had covered since he burst into the house, Kurt realized how insignificant Rachel's phone call had become in comparison to the rest of their conversation. However as they continued talking on Blaine's bed, laughing at each other's stories and sharing details about their high school friends, Kurt found himself feeling very glad that Rachel had called that morning.


	7. Rainy Day

When Kurt's phone rang again after he had returned home from his visit with Blaine, he was a little hesitant to answer thanks to the disaster of a call earlier. But instead of an excited Rachel Berry, he got an earful of irate Finn Hudson. "Where were you this morning?"

"What do you mean?" replied Kurt, already starting to get defensive.

"I called twice, first with a question about the shop, and then second to see if everything was okay since no one was answering the house phone," Finn explained angrily.

"I went out for a little while because I was in a bad mood and needed a break," Kurt answered back, matching Finn's angry tone.

"You can't just go out for a little while with Burt in this condition. Haven't you noticed that he's been even more tired lately?" Finn continued, not backing down one inch.

"I think I would have noticed if my father's condition had changed at all," Kurt replied, his voice dangerously low as he said "my father". He loved that Finn gave his dad someone to bond with over sports and he had to admit he usually enjoyed having the other boy around, but now he was crossing the line, insinuating that he knew what Burt needed better than his own son.

Finn didn't miss that emphasis in the statement, saying, "Just because he isn't my dad doesn't mean I don't care about him, Kurt. He's the closest thing I have to a father and I don't want to lose him just because you felt like getting out of the house."

"I seriously doubt a few hours at the neighbor's will cause my dad to have another heart attack," Kurt answered exasperatedly. "And if you must know, your darling ex-girlfriend called bragging about some big part she landed in New York City and I needed to let off some steam."

"Rachel called?" Finn said after a pause, in a completely different voice. "How is she doing? She must have been so excited. Did she say what it was for? Does she have any solos?"

"I don't know all the details, Finn," he replied impatiently. "And I spent the morning trying to forget that she's auditioning for musicals in the city while I sit here in Lima."

"Oh, so that's why you were out earlier when I called…"

"Yes, Finn," answered Kurt with a sigh; sometimes conversing with his pseudo-step brother was similar to dealing with a small child.

Suddenly Finn's previous tone of voice returned, as he asked suspiciously, "Were you with Blaine again?"

"So what if I was?" Kurt replied intensely, resenting the accusation. "Who I hang out with is none of your business."

"But your dad…"

"Finn, I think I know what's best for my own father. I have done perfectly well taking care of him, and while I appreciate your concern, I assure you everything is fine," Kurt snapped, feeling some of the morning's anger returning.

"Fine," the other boy relented. "I'll be over tomorrow, as usual."

"Fine," replied Kurt, stiffly. "See you then."

Kurt hung up the phone and resolved not to answer it again for the rest of the day; all of this pacing was going to wear out his favorite shoes.

When Finn arrived the following afternoon, things were still rather tense between the two boys, although Burt didn't seem to notice. What he did notice, however, was how attached Kurt had been to his phone lately, and how often he seemed to slip out of the house, although he always made sure Burt was taken care of before leaving. In the next few weeks, Finn began to stop by the house more frequently, often coming over after work to catch at least some of the Indians game and chat about football practice. And while Burt would never complain about seeing the boy, he wondered what had caused this change. He certainly wasn't all that entertaining these days; more often than not he ended up asleep on the couch, regardless of whether the boys were sitting with him.

Lately though it was usually only one boy; as soon as Finn arrived at the house, Kurt waved goodbye and shut the door without looking back, missing the sad look on his dad's face every time. The more time Kurt spent over at Mrs. Phillips', the less concern he seemed to show for his dad, instead choosing to let Finn take over more and more often. Now Burt knew that Finn didn't mind at all, and that Kurt deserved a break every once in awhile. His son loved him very much and had sacrificed a lot to take care of him, but it still hurt to rank second best to the neighboring boy who had only moved in a few weeks before. Kurt would come around though, Burt thought, as he glanced up at the baseball game he was watching with Finn, realizing he must have nodded off if it was already the fifth inning. His son just needed some time away from the house and soon this slightly rebellious phase would end. At least it gave Kurt a reason to wear those fancy designer clothes again; Burt always knew something wasn't quite right with his kid when he started wearing clothes that looked like they belonged in Finn's closet. He couldn't help but wonder what time Kurt would come home that night, though. Or how soon he would leave again, maybe without saying goodbye at all.


	8. So Long

Kurt probably should have resented that Finn was visiting much more frequently since their last fight, but he couldn't be too upset when the new turn of events provided him with plenty of extra opportunities to visit Blaine. This particular afternoon, they were lying on Blaine's bed listening to music; one of the few rainy days they had that summer forced Finn's football practice to be cut short, and Kurt was taking advantage of the unexpected free time. 'I just wish Blaine would take advantage of all the time we spend alone together,' thought Kurt before he could stop himself. Although Blaine had never made any hints that he was interested in more than just friendship, Kurt found his feelings for his neighbor growing at an embarrassing rate every time they hung out. From his years at McKinley, though, Kurt knew better than to make a move on another guy, even if this one was actually gay.

"What was that?" he questioned Blaine, who apparently had just said something to Kurt and was patiently awaiting a reply.

"I asked when you were going to come sing with the Warblers and me," Blaine repeated.

Ever since Kurt had sung for the boy a few days earlier, Blaine would not stop bugging him about making an appearance at his next practice.

"Blaine, I told you, I am very flattered that you were that impressed by my voice, but I can't be that far away from my dad. At least when I'm here, I could get home right away if something were to happen."

"What about your step-brother? Wouldn't he-"

"Finn and I are not on the best terms right now. He already thinks I come over to your house too often as it is. I don't feel like starting another argument with him by asking him to stay with my dad while I drive to Westerville."

"But David had this great song idea for a countertenor, and I just want to see Thad's face when he hears your voice," Blaine continued enthusiastically. "Even Wes would be impressed and-"

"Blaine. I said no. I'm sorry but I don't feel comfortable with traveling that far right now. End of discussion."

Even with Kurt's annoyed tone, Blaine opened his mouth as if to argue some more, before seeing the look on the other boy's face.

"Alright, alright, I apologize for pushing," Blaine conceded, lifting his hands in the air as if he were surrendering to Kurt's stubbornness. "I just think it's a shame to hide your beautiful voice here in my great-aunt's house in Lima."

Kurt let a little smile show through at that compliment; Blaine really did mean well, he just couldn't fully understand Kurt's fears of leaving his father. Finn was capable, and probably better company for his father, too, but he just couldn't handle the anxiety of being two hours away. Just in case. He had already almost lost his dad twice now. As much as he would love to really perform again, and meet other guys who didn't look at him as if homosexuality was a disease they could catch, it just wasn't worth the risk.

"Kurt? Are you mad? I really am sorry for bringing it up again, I just would love for you to meet my friends," Blaine commented nervously.

"I know," Kurt said, his face softening. "I really would like to sing with the Warblers. Although honestly, as much as I like the whole equality aspect, I don't think Kurt Hummel was meant to share the spotlight with anyone, even you, Blaine Anderson."

Blaine relaxed as Kurt's usual sass returned and replied, "Yeah, Nick likes to joke that we should be named Blaine and the Pips for all of the solos I get."

Kurt chuckled as Blaine defended himself, "It's not like I ask for them, though! Everyone votes on it; it's not my fault I can rock any Top 40 song, especially Katy Perry and Pink…"

"How is it that you are praised for singing female songs, when I got slushies to the face and anonymous phone calls when I did it?" Kurt exclaimed.

Blaine looked confused and Kurt replied, "Oh my gosh, how did I not tell you about Defying Gravity? That was the original diva-off in New Directions, of course involving Miss Rachel Berry and I…"

Rain continued to pour outside as Kurt told the story with exaggerated hand gestures and impressions of Rachel's faces when she sang.

"I think I need to meet this girl in person, although I don't know that I'll be able to keep a straight face after what you've told me about her," Blaine gasped, still out of breath from laughing. "When you come to New York City, we'll all have to get together."

Kurt froze, the smile sliding off his face. "When I come to the city?" he asked, confused.

"Yeah, of course," Blaine answered confidently. "You can't stay in Ohio forever – your dad will get better and after you'll be free to live out your dream on Broadway."

Kurt sat up slowly on the bed, surprised by Blaine's casual comment. He rarely let himself think of "after" because he didn't want to get his hopes up; he already did that once, only to have them spectacularly shattered. The doctors didn't know when Burt would be able to completely function on his own, and with his dad obviously not able to work, they couldn't exactly afford to hire any sort of homecare. Kurt knew his dad would be uncomfortable with that anyways; he still grumbled about his own son helping him get dressed.

"If I can't manage a day trip to Westerville, I doubt I will be able to move halfway across the country, even if he does get better," Kurt said bitterly, when he finally spoke.

Blaine looked as if he wanted to say something, but then changed his mind and turned away. After a minute of neither of them speaking, Blaine asked, "Didn't you say you wanted to be home for dinner, Kurt? It's already 7 o'clock."

Kurt frowned and looked out the window to see Finn's car still sitting in his driveway. "I guess Finn is staying for dinner tonight…?" he said uncertainly. Lately in an attempt to avoid the other boy, he waited until he heard the car door slam before heading home. "But yeah, thanks for keeping an eye on the time. I should probably get going."

"Okay," Blaine answered reluctantly. "But maybe I'll see you tomorrow? If you're not too upset with me…"

"Yes, I can't believe you would compliment my voice AND believe in my dreams all in one afternoon. What a terrible friend you are," Kurt teased as he got off the bed.

"Plus Project Runway is on tonight, so you know I'll be texting you about all of their tacky designs," Kurt continued as he walked out the bedroom door.

"Looking forward to it!" called out Blaine from behind him.

Kurt smiled, wondering what Heidi Klum would be wearing in that night's episode. He walked in the back door, waving to his dad on the couch before heading into the foyer to put away his umbrella. He found Finn holding his keys by the front door, looking as if he had been waiting for Kurt to come home.

"You were over at Blaine's for awhile today," Finn started nervously.

"Yes, because you were here to take care of my dad," Kurt responded patiently, trying to avoid another fight with this boy.

"Well, what if Coach Beiste had made me stay and practice in the storm today?"

"…Then I would have stayed with my dad, or had Blaine come over here. I don't know, it wouldn't have been a big deal," Kurt answered, still keeping his voice calm.

"Do you see Blaine every day?" continued Finn with yet another question, speaking quietly so as not to disturb Burt in the other room.

"Um, I mean I guess I see him a lot, yeah," replied Kurt, keeping his voice level but finally starting to lose his patience. "Look Finn, I really need to start dinner, so whatever you're trying to get at here, just spit it out already."

"Dude, I'm just concerned that when I leave for school, there won't be anyone here for Burt during the day. I'm only here for a few more weeks before football tryouts start."

Kurt blanched slightly at that statement; he knew the summer had been going by quickly, but he hadn't realized Finn needed to leave for school that early. He quickly hid his emotions, answering with a shrug, "I managed before you came over this often, so I'm sure I can handle it again in the fall."

"No, I mean you won't be able to go see Blaine all the time, you must have seen how tired your dad has been getting in the afternoons," Finn pushed the subject.

Kurt had to admit he had begun to notice, but the doctor said it was normal for his dad to need excess rest while his body healed, so he tried not to worry too much.

"I just hope you don't let Blaine get in the way of your dad's health, that's all," Finn stated, clearly relieved he had finished what he wanted to say.

"Yeah, well Blaine is leaving for the East Coast probably right after you leave for OSU, so you can stop accusing me of caring more about him than my own father," Kurt snapped. "It won't matter come September anyways. It will be back to just me and my dad again, without any distractions of neighboring boys or overbearing stepbrothers," Kurt finished irritably.

"Sorry to start another fight," Finn apologized, as he put on his rain jacket. "I just wanted to make sure you were thinking about what happens when I go to school. Just because you're not going away doesn't mean we're all staying here in Lima."

"That's enough, Finn," said Kurt, his eyes flashing dangerously. After his conversation with Blaine only a few minutes earlier, he was not in the mood to be reminded that he was stuck in Ohio for the foreseeable future.

"Thank you for visiting with my dad today and I'm sure I'll see you soon," Kurt finished curtly as he held open the door, gesturing for the other boy to leave.

Finn just nodded and headed out the door with his hands in his pockets, glancing back at Kurt one more time before getting into his car and driving away.

So much for avoiding another fight with Finn, thought Kurt with a sigh, as he closed the front door and turned towards the kitchen. And now he wouldn't be able to stop wondering when Blaine would be leaving him, too. He pushed these thoughts out of his head for now, as he plastered a fake smile on his face and said to his dad, "Alright, what do you want for dinner tonight? Grilled chicken salad or chicken stir fry?"


	9. Two Points for Honesty

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for all of the reviews and comments, both on here and on tumblr!**

** Just to clarify, Finn is not technically Kurt's stepbrother because in this story Carole and Burt never moved in together, never got married, etc. Kurt just calls him that because of Finn's relationship with Burt...and for lack of a better way to refer to him haha. **

**This is one of my favorite chapters and one of the first scenes I thought up for this story. Make sure to listen to the song! It is linked in my profile here and on my tumblr. Only one more chapter and an epilogue left! Hope you enjoy the rest of the story and let me know what you think!**

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><p>On a particularly nice August day, Kurt and Blaine decided to mix up the routine and sit outside in the backyard, although Kurt insisted they sit in the shade (to protect his skin) and on a blanket (to protect his clothing). Kurt was complaining about the summer heat and its limiting effect on his wardrobe. Blaine, as usual, listened patiently, seeming to never tire of hearing Kurt talk, even when it was on a topic he had heard many times before. Kurt had to admit he was enjoying the afternoon, though, in spite of the heat. The sun was shining brightly but there was a breeze rustling the leaves above their heads every so often, just enough to cool him off and keep away the mosquitoes, but not enough to mess up his hair. That was one thing Kurt would miss about Lima - the quietness of being outdoors, where the only sounds were the birds chirping in the distance, and the soft hum of whatever soap opera Mrs. Phillips was watching inside the house. Kurt felt completely relaxed for the first time in awhile, as he stole a glance over at the other boy, who was currently laying on the grass with his eyes closed and a small but contented smile on his face. Kurt still hadn't really made amends with Finn, and his dad's recovery seemed to be stalling recently, but none of that mattered when he was with Blaine.<p>

Both boys were ignoring the fact that soon Blaine would be leaving, too – Kurt didn't want to bring it up and Blaine hadn't offered the information. Kurt wasn't sure if Blaine himself didn't know when he was heading to New York, or if he simply wasn't mentioning it to Kurt intentionally as to not upset him. Either way, Kurt was fine pretending it wasn't happening for the moment; he would deal with that when it arrived but for now he was going to enjoy spending a gorgeous summer day with his best friend.

They sat in comfortable silence, enjoying another nice breeze, before Kurt looked over at his neighbor and asked pensively, "Do you ever wish you went with your parents this summer instead of staying in Ohio?"

Blaine only hesitated for a second before answering with a resounding no.

"But why not?" Kurt pushed. "I bet Nantucket is much nicer than here. And do you miss your parents? I know you said you don't always get along but…"

"I miss them sometimes," answered Blaine nonchalantly, as he pushed himself up on his forearms. "But I would have hated being alone in the house with them all summer. Besides, I like you much better than all the stuck-up rich kids I usually have to socialize with," Blaine continued with a wink.

Kurt blushed slightly at that, before bringing the conversation back to the previous topic and asking, "Did you go with them last summer?"

"Yes," Blaine answered with a sigh, "Only because I had no excuse not to. This year worked out great with the Warblers here in Ohio."

"But if they don't approve of you singing, why would they let you stay and practice?"

"It's really just my dad that doesn't like me performing," Blaine explained bitterly, wrapping his arms around his knees. "My mom convinced him to let me stay in Ohio, but I think a big part of it was that he didn't want to have to deal with his gay son while he was meeting with clients or old friends."

Kurt tentatively put a hand on Blaine's arm in an attempt to comfort him. Blaine just looked at him with a weak smile and continued in a softer voice, "That's the other reason I really wanted to stay here. I figured if the Warblers practice enough, we'll become really successful when we head to the city. Then maybe it wouldn't matter that I chose to sing and dance as a career…and maybe it wouldn't matter that I'm gay."

Kurt just looked at him sadly, until Blaine sat up straight and proclaimed loudly, "Whether or not my dad approves, singing is what I love to do. I was meant to be a performer, no matter what he or anyone else thinks."

Kurt wasn't sure who Blaine was trying to convince, his friend or himself, but he smiled and replied, "I understand. That's how I felt at McKinley all those years – no matter who tried to push me down, whether it was the jocks, or even Rachel and Mr. Schue, it didn't matter. I was going to be a star performer in spite of all the adversity." He turned away as he added, "Well, until my dad got sick, of course. Then that all kind of changed." Kurt didn't mean to turn the conversation about Blaine's parents back around to his own issues, but it was hard not to relate to the situation. At any rate, Blaine often seemed uncomfortable talking about his father, always making some strong, defiant statement after baring his insecurities.

"Kurt, you will make it to New York City; you are too talented to waste away here in Lima."

"Maybe someday, but for now my title is caretaker, for as long as my dad needs me," Kurt answered resignedly.

Blaine tilted his head and looked at Kurt with a sad smile before singing quietly, _"If that's all you will be, you'll be a waste of time…"_

"Blaine, I really don't think singing right now is-"

"_You've dreamed a thousand dreams, none seem to stick in your mind,"_ Blaine continued.

"Hey, that's not fair," Kurt protested with a frown. "You know exactly why-"

"_Two points for honesty,"_ Blaine sang louder now, _"It must make you sad to know that nobody cares at all."_

Kurt opened his mouth to interject again, before thinking about the truth in that statement. His dad obviously cared about him, but lately he didn't seem to understand how upset Kurt was to sacrifice his dream. Finn might have cared before, but lately their relationship had been very rocky. And his other friends…well he hadn't really spoken to most of them in months. Kurt knew he had initially pushed them away, but obviously he was just in shock and grief over his dad's condition – didn't they care enough about him to at least make an effort?

Blaine continued his song, his voice sounding more confident with every line.

"_I want to be where I've never been before, _

_I want to be there and then I'd understand. _

_I know I'm right and do it right, could I get to be like that. _

_I don't know what I don't know, with nothing more to gain."_

Kurt thought of that afternoon's conversation with Blaine, knowing how important it was for the other boy to prove to his father that he was worthwhile.

"_Will I get better or stay the same _

_I find I always move too slowly. _

_Can't lift a finger, can't change my mind, _

_I never knew till someone told me that..."_

Kurt sat up straight and joined in the song, their two voices blending together perfectly over the chorus.

"_If that's all you will be, you'll be a waste of time. _

_You've dreamed a thousand dreams; none seem to stick in your mind. _

_Two points for honesty, _

_It must make you sad to know that nobody cares at all."_

Kurt took the next verse on his own, looking out at the trees as he poured his frustration and longing into the song.

"_And all the people who've seen it all before, _

_And all the people who already understand, _

_I know they're right, and have done it right, could I get to be like that. _

_I'll know what I don't know, it's harder every day."_

He closed his eyes at how painfully accurate those last lyrics were to his life right now. His mind fixated on the current situation with his dad as he continued singing,

"_Can't lift a finger, can't hurt a fly, _

_I've found I always move too slowly. _

_One thing's for certain, I'm insecure, _

_I never knew till someone told me that..."_

Blaine stared over at Kurt, and they maintained eye contact as they sang the last chorus together.

"_If that's all you will be, you'll be a waste of time. _

_You've dreamed a thousand dreams; none seem to stick in your mind. _

_Two points for honesty, _

_It must make you sad to know that nobody cares at all. _

_Nobody cares at all."_

Kurt finally turned away to hide his tears from Blaine, as his voice cracked over the last line.

"_They never cared at all."_

Kurt continued to sniffle as Blaine reached out to him and softly said, "I'm sorry to upset you, Kurt. I just think you deserve better than that. And from what you've told me of your dad, he wouldn't want you to be this unhappy. He fought for your chance to sing 'Defying Gravity' and that was only a solo in high school glee club. I have to believe he would fight for your Broadway dream, too. You can't be the only one making sacrifices in your family, Kurt."

The other boy simply nodded and finally let himself lean over toward Blaine. They spent the rest of the afternoon sitting quietly in the shade, whispering about what they would do in New York City, if and when they got the chance.


	10. Either Way

Kurt had just decided on a movie to watch during his dad's nap when he received a text from Blaine that read: "Hey, can I come over?" Kurt frowned for a moment, pondering the situation. His dad was napping upstairs that afternoon because he had felt particularly tired again after lunch. Kurt had refrained thus far from having Blaine over, usually because Kurt took every opportunity he could to get out of the house for a few hours. And on days when Finn didn't visit (which were increasingly rare lately), Kurt typically just didn't see Blaine in person, instead texting or calling him. It wasn't that he didn't want Blaine to see his house or meet his dad; he just liked having his Blaine-time be separate from his normal routine. Their time together often involved heated debates or bursting into random songs, but if they went downstairs to Kurt's room, Burt shouldn't be able to hear them from his bedroom. Besides, Finn would likely be getting busier as the semester approached, and who knew when Blaine himself would be leaving Lima. Kurt needed make good use of the remaining time he had to spend with his best friend, and it couldn't hurt to have Blaine over just for a few hours.

He quickly typed back an answer, realizing he had already delayed his response thanks to his careful consideration of the request. He quietly ran up the stairs to check on his dad, before fixing his hair and outfit in the hall mirror and waiting nervously for Blaine to arrive. He didn't know why he was so fidgety – he hung out in Blaine's room all the time, but for some reason having his neighbor over to his house in his own bedroom was much more of a big deal. Blaine loped across the yard with a smile and his hands in his jean pockets. As soon as he got through the back door, his hands started gesturing and he excitedly said, "Kurt, I have the best idea. I was thinking about our conversation yesterday and-"

"Shhh," Kurt cut him off in mid sentence. "My dad is sleeping upstairs. Let's go to my room." Blaine closed his mouth and nodded, consenting to be dragged through the kitchen and down the stairs. He paused for a moment to take in Kurt's bedroom, nodding approvingly. "Did you decorate this yourself? The color scheme is fantastic…"

"Yes, I did," replied Kurt, flushing at the compliment. "Interior design is one of my favorite hobbies." Blaine continued to look around until Kurt asked, "So what did you want to talk about? It sounded like it was important."

"Oh yeah! Well, I had the best idea. So I was thinking a lot about your current situation and I think I found the solution."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at him in disbelief.

Blaine just smiled and explained, "Your dad moves to New York City with you!"

Kurt stared back at Blaine while he tried to process that suggestion. Why hadn't he thought of that before? Of course they couldn't see Finn and Carole as often, but for the majority of Kurt's life it had just been Kurt and his dad. If Burt went with him to New York, Kurt would still be able to take care of his dad while he auditioned for roles and went to school! It would be a lot of hard work, and money would be even tighter than it was now, but if it meant he could get his chance at Broadway alongside Rachel, it would definitely be worth it.

Blaine looked at Kurt, anxiously awaiting his reaction. "I mean, your dad works with cars, right? There are tons of cars in the city, so when he gets better, he could easily find a job, and you could find an apartment for both of you, and take care of him during the day and take classes at night or online until he recovered enough to be on his own, and-"

"Blaine, stop babbling, I'm trying to think," Kurt snapped, and Blaine instantly shut up.

In the back of Kurt's mind, a part of him was saying that this is a terrible idea and he shouldn't even get his hopes up (again) over some impossible dream. If anything, his dad had been weaker lately, and was in no condition to move across the country. But another part of him remembered what Blaine had said about Kurt not being the only one to make sacrifices for the family. Kurt had already sacrificed the end of his senior year and most of his summer to take care of his dad. And he was prepared to give up a lot more. Was it really too much to ask for his dad to relocate with him to a different city?

"He certainly isn't well enough to fly," Kurt mused aloud. "But maybe if we drove and just took a lot of rest stops…riding in a car isn't that strenuous, right?"

He looked up at Blaine, who had a dangerous glint in his eye. He had apparently only been holding back until he had Kurt's approval, because he then launched into an enthusiastic discussion of possible places to live, and all of the fun things they could do in New York.

Kurt still heard warning bells going off somewhere in his head, but for once he didn't let himself care. He was the happiest he had been all summer, letting himself hope again that he could make it to Broadway, and have his dad with him, too. Burt could come to his shows, and open his own little tire shop in Manhattan, and Kurt could still see Blaine as much as he wanted…

They laughed and carried on for what felt like hours, Kurt feeling light and carefree, not even worrying that his dad was sleeping upstairs. Finally after his feet landed back on the ground, he caught Blaine's eye and said, "This is really going to happen. I'm going to New York City and my dad is coming with me." He had a huge grin on his face and moved as if to hug Blaine, when his door slammed open and a furious Finn Hudson crashed into his bedroom.

"Dude, did you seriously just say that you were taking Burt to New York City?" His hands were clenched in fists at his side.

"What is it any of your business?" Kurt snapped back, raising his voice. "You'll be at Ohio State and I have to figure how to live my own life with my father."

"You know that Burt isn't strong enough to handle the stress of moving, Kurt! You can't seriously think this is a good idea."

Kurt opened his mouth to argue back, but Blaine beat him to it.

"And you can't seriously think you can control what decision Kurt makes," the other boy said, calmly intruding into the conversation.

Finn looked over at him in surprise, as if just realizing there was a third person in the room.

"And who are you to be butting into our conversation?" Finn asked angrily.

"Someone who obviously cares more about Kurt than you or anyone else from your little glee club," responded Blaine, matching his angry tone.

"Will both of you just-" Kurt tried to interject but it was no use with Finn already yelling, "What do you mean by that?" and taking a menacing step towards Blaine.

"Do you even realize how talented he is? He deserves to be on Broadway, not stuck here in No-wheres-ville, Ohio," Blaine said, fighting to keep his voice level as he stared down the taller boy.

"I know he's good, alright? But that doesn't mean he should stop caring about his sick dad! You don't even know Burt, or me, or Kurt! And you have no right to even be in this conversation," Finn shouted.

"I know Kurt well enough to know that he deserves much better than you and those other people you call friends," Blaine snarled in response.

At that statement, Finn leaned forward with a growl and shoved Blaine backwards towards a gray armchair. Blaine seemed to be expecting this tactic, as he kept his balance and shoved right back.

When Kurt was finally able to get between the two of them, he pushed Blaine back towards his bed and Finn towards the stairs. With one final glare at the two boys, Finn shouted, "Screw you both. I hope you're happy in New York City." He then added quietly as he stormed out, "Don't expect me back here anymore, Kurt. Tell your dad I said goodbye."

Kurt put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath; he scowled over at Blaine, waiting to hear the front door slam before discussing what just happened. Instead, he heard Finn's voice again, half thinking he was attempting to continue the argument from upstairs. The only thing his step-brother yelled was Kurt's name, though, growing progressively louder. After the fight that had just occurred, only that level of panic in Finn's voice could have gotten Kurt to take the stairs two at time, especially in the tight pants he was wearing that day. And then Kurt's heart dropped into his stomach as he caught sight of his dad lying unconscious on the kitchen floor.


	11. All The Way Up to Heaven

Kurt turned the key to enter his house, and shut the door quietly behind him. As he walked through the empty house to his bedroom, averting his gaze from the kitchen, he felt completely alone once again. Even when surrounded by crying friends and well-intentioned relatives during the past week, he had still felt incredibly lonely. He hated their sympathetic looks and the whispers of "orphan" when they didn't think he could hear. Even Carole didn't offer much comfort, as she had her own grieving son to deal with, who hadn't spoken a word to Kurt since calling him into the kitchen that afternoon. Through an awkward conversation with Rachel, who had surprisingly flown home from New York for the funeral, Kurt learned that Finn partially blamed Kurt for what had happened, but also felt guilty for losing his temper. Both boys, though they hadn't spoken to each other about it, speculated that Burt had heard the argument and attempted to come downstairs, but the stress and the physical exercise of running down the stairs had been far too much for his heart to handle.

Not only did he lose his father and the closest thing he had to a brother in that incident, he thought, ignoring the painful tightness in his chest at that idea as he hung his suit jacket up in the closet, but also he lost his best friend. He hadn't seen or heard from Blaine since the ambulance pulled away, leaving the stunned and scared boy standing alone in the driveway. He really could have used someone to stand with him at the wake, or hold his hand at the cemetery, but maybe it was better that Blaine wasn't in attendance for either of those events; Finn likely would have done much worse than just storming out of the church when Kurt delivered the eulogy. Kurt sat down on his bed as he loosened his tie and undid his cufflinks. He ignored the urge to text Blaine just one more time, asking why he had to leave when he was all Kurt had left. The day before the funeral, Kurt had actually gone over to Mrs. Phillips to ask her about Blaine, who hadn't returned his messages or phone calls in five days. She just smiled sadly and said that he had already left for New York, without offering any further information. Kurt knew that the Warblers' success in the city was important to Blaine, and that the boy probably didn't know how to handle Kurt's grief on top of his own guilt. Apparently Blaine hadn't been exaggerating when he told Kurt that he had a habit of running away from his problems; Kurt just wished he would have stayed and this time they could have dealt with it together.

Kurt sighed wearily as he looked at the clock, thinking he should probably start cooking dinner because his dad would be hungry soon - he froze mid-thought and sunk back down onto his bed, feeling like the wind had been knocked out of him. His dad was really gone. All of his efforts to feed his dad healthy food and keep him from overexerting himself were wasted. Why didn't his dad get better? Why didn't he call the doctor again when his dad had been even more tired? And why did he let Blaine come over that afternoon at all? How could he have cared more about hanging out with a stupid boy who would leave him without a second thought, than his own father who had been there for him from tea-parties to glee concerts? He hadn't even gotten to say goodbye. He curled up on his bed, for once not caring about wrinkling his clothes, and finally let himself break down completely, not even bothering to keep quiet because there was no one there to hear his sobs. He cried for his dad, whom he had failed to save; for Finn, whom he could no longer call his step-brother; for Blaine, whom he had thought was different but ended up leaving him just like everyone else; and lastly for his Broadway dreams. He let out a mixture of a laugh/sob as he realized the irony of his current situation; without his dad, he no longer had any ties to Ohio and was free to pursue a career in New York City. But with the guilt of his father's death, he would never really be free. Thanks to the last conversation he had with Finn and Blaine, he wouldn't feel right moving to the city when his need for fame had caused his own dad to die. If that's what he had been willing to sacrifice to become famous, he didn't deserve any recognition for his talents. Nothing was worth giving up his father, who had been the one consistent thing in his entire life.

Kurt cried for what seemed like days before finally running out of tears. He sat up on the bed, rubbed his eyes, and let his mind wander to his other options; all he had ever dreamed of was performing. Maybe he could move to Columbus and take classes in fashion, or interior design. It wasn't singing in the Big Apple, but he could learn to enjoy it. Or he could even become a teacher. Now that he would never realize his own dream, maybe he could at least help other kids achieve theirs. Kurt would just have to rebuild his life in Ohio after this tragedy. But this time, no one would be there to hold his hand

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><p><strong>Author's note: 10 points to your Hogwarts house if you figured out that the plot of this fic is based on the DumbledoreGrindewald storyline in the Harry Potter series. And if you didn't figure it out, I'm guessing some of the characters' actions make a lot more sense now! Unfortunately it meant that the story had to have a very unhappy ending, but I just couldn't get the idea out of my head. I warned you that it would be full of angst!**

**Anyways, I am so happy and surprised that I finished a multi-chaptered fanfic! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate all of your support! If you're not too upset with me over how it ended, feel free to come visit on tumblr to let me know what you thought or just say hello - and you can find some great fic recs to read until I start posting my next story! 3**


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